Definition

Noun: A sudden, unpleasant sensation of dread, disappointment, or foreboding, often felt physically in the stomach or chest. It is the emotional and physical response to receiving bad news or anticipating a negative outcome.

Usage

This noun phrase is used to describe the specific, visceral feeling of anxiety or despair that accompanies a realization of impending trouble or failure. It is almost always preceded by the indefinite article "a" (a sinking feeling).

Examples

• I had a sinking feeling when I saw the police car pull into my driveway.
• As the final exam grades were posted, a sinking feeling came over me.
• She got a sinking feeling in her stomach when she realized she had left her passport at home.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be intensified with descriptors like "dreadful," "terrible," or "sudden."
  • A dreadful sinking feeling told him the deal was about to fall through.
• It is often followed by a clause beginning with "that" to specify the cause of the apprehension.
  • I had a sinking feeling that I had made a terrible mistake.

Variants and Related Words

• Sinking heart: A very closely related idiom with an identical meaning, focusing more on the emotional than physical sensation.
  • With a sinking heart, she opened the overdue bill.

Synonyms

• Sense of dread
• Foreboding
• Apprehension
• Premonition

Related Idioms

• A knot in one's stomach: Describes a similar physical sensation of anxiety or tension.
• One's heart sank: A verbal idiom expressing the same emotional reaction.
  • My heart sank when I heard the news.

Noun

1. a feeling caused by uneasiness or apprehension
   • with a sinking heart
   • a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach